A New Member
by Lee Kyung Suh
Summary: When Robin was in the Holy Lands, he rescued a Saracen warrior..a girl. Now, after 3 years and in England, he finds himself seeing her again and this time, she has a secret that will rock the entire foundations of the war. AllanxOC but later on
1. Saracen Warriors

Plot Summary: When Robin was in the Holy Lands, he saved a Saracen girl, disguised as a male warrior. Now, after he has been home for a while, he finds himself having to save her again. Except this time, he's only got one try before her secrets are revealed and the war forever changed.

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Robin Hood ran through the forest of Sherwood, the cracking of leaves the only noise there. Robin moved swiftly, trying to get back to camp as quickly as he could. He needed to get word to them of what was happening. He needed Will Scarlet to formulate some ingenious plan. He needed to tell everyone that they needed to go to Nottingham as soon as possible. He especially needed to tell Djac what was happening and hopefully she would be able to answer his questions. He needed to tell them _now_ and he was running out of time. If he they didn't do something soon, Robin was afraid of what might happen.

Robin pushed the negative thoughts out of his mind, as he reached the camp. Opening the entrance door, he ran in and closed it quickly. Robin was positive that no one was following, but he just wanted to be careful. The whole gang was there: Much, Little John, Will Scarlet, and most importantly Djaq. They all stared at him as he caught his breath. Robin grasped his legs and he breathed loud and hard. He knew he should have brought his horse with him, but then they would have heard him. He needed to be careful, especially with the information he was traveling with.

"We…" began Robin, as he sat on one of the log benches. He took a deep breath as the gang came and crowded around him. Most of them looked at him curiously, while some looked suspicious. They could tell something was wrong. He would only run back to the camp if he was being chased, or if there was extremely important information he needed to tell them about. "We have a problem." Robin breathed in deeply, trying to catch his breath. He was going to need it, to explain what the problem was.

"What sort of problem?" asked Djaq curiously. Much's eyes had widened, along with Little John's. Will cocked an eyebrow, as he stared worriedly at Robin. They had had many problems, but obviously this was a big problem. This was a very big problem, guessed Will. But he couldn't figure out how big or why it was so big. Could the Sheriff have found out where they're camp was? That would be a big problem. Could they have lost the war? That would be a big problem. Could Prince John be coming on his way to Nottingham? That _would_ definitely be a big problem. More major though, than big.

"A problem … that could mean big trouble for us and the war in the Holy Lands," replied Robin, as he covered his face in his hands. The gang gasped. What could mean trouble for the war? They hadn't spoken of the war in the Holy Lands for quite some time, but now that the subject had been brought up again, they knew this could be anything but good. They eyed him curiously and Robin sighed. "The King is sending some Saracen prisoners over to the Sheriff. These are prisoners of war he's sending over."

"What?" Much exclaimed. Robin saw the look of confusion and horror that was on Much's and the rest of the gangs' face. "That does not sound like King Richard. At least not the King Richard that we went to fight for in the Holy Lands! Why would he do this? The Sheriff will torture them 'til they're dead!"

"Why would King Richard send Saracen prisoners?" asked Will, who crossed his arms over his chest. Little John nodded his head in agreement with Will's question. Robin sighed. How was he supposed to explain this to them? Robin only had an idea why they would be sent here, but not an actual reason. It was all based on ideas and from what Marian had heard, but none of it was for sure. Maybe Djaq would know though. After all, she had gone in place of her brother. But still, this information was highly classified and few knew about it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Djaq stated in a superior tone. The gang looked over at her curiously. They were still getting used to the idea that she was smarter and better than them. "I don't think it's King Richard's idea to bring them to Nottingham. It could be Prince John's idea of getting information. It was a rumor that some Saracen fighters are given special information to guard. Though, they are normally Saladin's closest allies disguised as warriors, but I heard they were regular warriors. People who had been pulled from their families to fight in this war." The gang still stared at her curiously, except for Robin. "Don't you understand? The Saracen warriors that are being sent here could be some of the ones with information!"

"Why would Saladin do that?" asked Will, still a bit confused. Robin and Djaq sighed. This was not easy for them to explain because they didn't actually fully get in themselves. Djaq sounded like she knew all about it, but in truth, these were only rumors that she had heard. Nothing was hard based fact. And Robin had heard it from Marian. While she was spying in the castle, she overheard the Sheriff talking to Guy about it, but she didn't actually think it to be true.

"Because it is an effective way of hiding and keeping information safe," Robin explained, looking over at Djaq. She nodded her head. "Djaq, what would happen if a woman was caught?"

"I am unsure of what you're asking, Robin. Wouldn't you know the answer to this?" asked Djaq curiously. Robin looked down at his boots. How was he going to explain this to them too? Why did he have to have this secret? Of all secrets, this was the one he was going to have to divulge now. He knew it was going to be a hard topic to bring up, especially for Much. The two of them had been very close with the woman he was talking about. He hadn't even gotten over the woman, so how was Much going to have?

"Would a woman have information of Saladin?" asked Robin, sounding desperate. Much's eyes widened, as he understood why Robin was asking these questions. Much made a little gasp, as the rest of the gang looked at him oddly. Robin looked up at Much with a grave look on his face. For a second, it was as if they were almost talking to each other telepathically. Much fully understood what the look in Robin's eyes meant and Robin knew that Much had caught onto his absurd and random questions. He had a look on his face that was almost begging him to say something. Much was going to oblige. He couldn't make Robin talk about this, not now, especially if she was being transported from the Holy Lands here.

"What's going on?" asked Will, as he glanced at Robin, then Much. It was a very rare occurrence when Much knew something the rest of them didn't. And the fact that he hadn't told anyone was a miracle. He could never keep his mouth shut about anything. Much and Robin sighed. It had to come out.

"Robin?" asked Much, looking over at him for approval. Robin nodded his head as he covered his face in his hands. He was ashamed he wasn't telling the gang this, but he just couldn't bring himself to. He wasn't ashamed of what he had done, he was just ashamed that he had never told them and that his personal feelings were getting in the way of his "work". He hated it when the reason they were going to storm Nottingham was because of him and his feelings. "When we were in the Holy Lands, Robin met a wounded Saracen warrior … he was a she. Robin lied on her behalf so that she would be treated. She had some bad wounds, especially to her back. They became friends and he would visit her every time he would come back. He was always worried about her, not just because she was a girl, but because he cared about her and was always afraid they might find out that she was a Saracen warrior. When she had been treated and healed, she disappeared, but left Robin and me a gift."

"What?" asked Djaq laughingly, not sure what to believe of the story. When Robin's expression didn't change, Djaq realized the two of them were being serious. She looked down at her feet, feeling bad she didn't believe them. Will looked at Robin and Much funnily. Little John just smiled, as he sat down on a log behind them. He had an idea of what she might have given them because he thought he saw Robin looking at it in the night sometimes.

"This," said Robin, as he pulled out a necklace from under his tunic. It was a small white slab brick with Latin writing inscribe on it. Robin smiled as he felt the cool slab in his hands as he took it off from around his neck to admire it. He hadn't looked at in awhile, and now it was bringing up so many memories of the Holy Lands and of her. All of the blood and violence, but also of the new friend he had made. She didn't belong to be there and she definitely didn't belong to be in Nottingham if she was one of the Saracen warriors being transported.

"What does it say?" asked Will curiously, as Robin handed the necklace to him. Will stared at it and felt the same cool feeling that Robin had felt. It was very nicely made, thought Will as he passed it along to Little John.

"It says 'from your friend Nafisa'," Robin answered, as Djaq shot her head up. Robin noticed her sudden movement and eyed her curiously. "Djaq, do you know her?" Djaq looked away from Robin's gaze. Now it was her time to tell a secret about Nafisa. She was about ready to cry, but she knew she couldn't cry in front of them. She had to be strong for both her and Nafisa.

"What name did she take?" asked Djaq, as the gang's eyes bore into her. She couldn't believe that it might be her. It actually could be her, but if it was her, she had been going through Hell for the past three years.

"Hasim." Djaq shuddered at the name. It was her, she thought. It was Nafisa. "How do you know Nafisa?" Djaq sighed. Did she have to tell this story? She had promised herself she would never speak of it again, but it was Robin and the gang; she had to tell them. Djaq sighed again. She nodded her head. "How did you know Nafisa?" he asked again.

"Nafisa and I were neighbors. We had been friends since infancy and her parents were good friends with my parents. When we became older, her father and mine decided it would be a good idea if I married her brother, Hasim. They had planned out everything, but then it happened. They made a man from every family come fight in the war for the Holy Lands. Hasim was the only one who could go, so they decided that he would. We were supposed to be married before he went to fight, but it never happened.

"One day he was in the market with Nafisa and they met up with an old friend. It was Dayyan. He was in love with Nafisa and asked Hasim if he would go and suggest the idea of them getting married to their father. Hasim was never fond of Dayyan, and he said no. Dayyan got mad and demanded that he do this. But still, Hasim refused. Dayyan got so mad he pulled a small dagger on Hasim. He stabbed him to death. Then Dayyan took Nafisa to his horse, but she ran away back to her father to tell him what happened." Djaq started to cry. It had been so long since she had thought about what had happened and there was a good reason for it. She always got emotional about it, and she didn't want to cry, especially in front of the gang.

"It's ok, Djaq," Robin said, as he hugged Djaq. Djaq continued to cry, but she wiped her tears and shook her head. She had to continue the story. Once she started, she had to finish it. She had to, for Nafisa and Hasim.

"Sorry. Uhmm…right. When Nafisa got back, she told her father what happened and he told my father, who told me. I was devastated and angry with Nafisa. She had just stood there and watched her brother die before her own eyes. But now when I look back at it, I understand. She was only sixteen and she was a good girl. She did everything she was told and was the perfect Arab woman. But she was too afraid to fight him at the time.

"Anyway, then they had a problem: who was going to go to the Holy Lands as Hasim? Her older brother, Basil couldn't because he was injured and they would be able to tell he wasn't Hasim. Her father couldn't go because he was too old and he had to take care of her little sister, Karima. Then Nafisa stepped up and said she would go in her brother's place. Her father begged her not to go, but they had no other choice. Her father trained her in swordsmanship and how to shoot a bow and arrow. Nafisa was a quick learner and picked up everything extremely fast. And then she left to go to fight in the Holy Lands. I never saw her again."

Djaq wiped her eyes. It was so painful to bring up that memory. She lost her supposed-to-be husband and her best friend. She never got to tell Nafisa that she was sorry and didn't actually mean to yell at her and say those cruel things. That's what made the memory so painful, Djac figured. It was because she desperately wanted to change what she did, but she knew she couldn't. She desperately wanted to go back in time and tell Nafisa that it was ok that she didn't know what to do and it wasn't her fault. Maybe, if Nafisa was one of Saracen warriors being brought in, she could tell her what she had wanted to say for three years.

"We go now then," Little John said. Everyone looked at him, as Little John got up from the log he was sitting on. He picked up his staff and grasped it tightly. "We go to Nottingham to find out if she is there and to save her. We do not allow women to get hurt or die. We go to Nottingham."

"Yes," Djaq said, "we must go to Nottingham. I must speak with her. I need to tell her I'm sorry and she might have information and I … I just want to see her again." The gang chuckled.

"Figures," said Much. After the story Djaq had just told them, anyone would want to tell her how they really felt. Much completely understood her reasoning and thought Djaq was a good person for wanting to apologize.

"So," said Will, after a long silence, "when are we going?"

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A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. Sorry if I got any of the facts mixed up or anything like that. So hopefully, I will be good about continuing this story. XD And I'm not sure who Nafisa is going to end up liking, so give me feedback please! Still figuring out who she'll end up, but I have a good idea. Anyway, I hope you liked it(:


	2. The Dungeon

Allan A Dale rode through the streets of Nottingham, triumphant for having everyone see him lead the Saracen scum to the castle. A large crowd of townspeople came to see what all the commotion was about and followed Allan and the Saracen warriors as they went to Nottingham castle. People threw old vegetables at the Saracen, who were all chained to each other, just ducked whenever one came towards their head. But besides that, they were hit from all angles with the vegetables and the townspeople cursed at them.

One of the men, a young man, glared at the townspeople as they cursed their names. He looked to be the youngest out of them all and the fairest, but that could hardly be seen because his hood from his cloak was up. It was a plain brown color.. The young man—looking to be only twenty or maybe even younger—trudged through the town, cursing under his breath. He swore to himself that they would all be punished and their town burned down to the ground. He was sure it would happen and if it wouldn't, he would do it himself. These people had no respect for anyone, even enemies. Although they were enemies, there was still some decency that should have been showed to them. But alas, there was none.

"Open up the gates! Tell the Sheriff I have the Saracen prisoners!" Allan pronounced loudly, so that all could hear. The crowd cheered in joy and happiness as the gates to the castle were opened. Allan saw on the steps, stood the Sheriff and Sir Guy of Gisborne, his right hand man. The Sheriff was smiling gleefully, while Allan trotted in on his horse and the prisoners trudged into the castle walls. Now, more than ever, were they caged beasts.

"Excellent," the Sheriff said, clapping his hands together. He walked down the stone stairs toward the Saracen's to scrutinize each one of them. He walked down the line, for each one, looking disgusted at. He stopped at the younger, fairer boy and examined him. He felt this boy was hiding something, although he felt that about all the lot of them. He grabbed the boy's chin and examined his features. He scowled. They were soft, like a girl's, but his eyes said otherwise. The boy growled at the Sheriff who replied with laughter. The boy, so enraged, spat on the Sheriff's shoe. The Sheriff glared at him, then delivered a swift blow to the stomach that made the boy double over in pain. "Well deserved of that, you stupid little lad. Take them to the dungeon!"

The guards to the castle came over briskly and shoved each one of the Saracen forward towards the castle. The fair boy glared at the guard who pushed him forward. The guard looked at the boy and smirked. He again, pushed the boy, except this time with more force and the boy almost tripped over his restraints. The guard heartily laughed and cursed him. The other guards didn't seem to be any less sympathetic to the Saracens as this one was. The boy cursed under his breath with every foul word he knew to the guards. They just chuckled as they pushed them into the castle.

Down in the dungeon, the Saracen warriors had been split up to three in a cell. The paler one who had spit at the Sheriff was sitting quietly on the floor. He had black hair that went down to his back, but had it pulled up into a ponytail. He wore a cloak at all times. His hood was up, so no one could see his face, but his cellmates could see his piercing auburn eyes. In a way, they were a little afraid of him, but in other ways, they thought he was completely weak and useless.

"Hasim!" yelled another Saracen in his cell. Hasim, the boy—only nineteen—looked up at the other Saracen. The Saracen stared at him, then walked over to him and lightly kicked his leather boots. Hasim glared at him.

"What do you want, Dayyan?" he asked, looking back down at the floor. Dayyan sat down next to Hasim and weakly punched the hard, cold floor. He hated being in a cell and he hated that he was in a cell with Hasim. Well, it wouldn't have bothered him, except that there was another person in the cell. Dayyan mentally cursed the Sheriff for having three to a cell, instead of two. But, thought Dayyan, I guess it has to accommodate _all_ of us. Dayyan sneered. How had let himself be captured and shipped to England?

"Hasim, what are we going to do? There has to be a way out of here," whispered Dayyan, as he saw one of the jailers walk by their cell. Dayyan made it seem like he was asleep and closed his eyes. Hasim just chuckled. Dayyan shot his eyes open as he looked over to glare at Hasim. "What's so funny, _Hasim_?" sneered Dayyan.

"Dayyan," said Hasim, as he got up from the floor and began to walk the perimeter of the cell, "do you honestly think they care if we talk?" Hasim chuckled again. Dayyan was so stupid. There was no way out of these cells, unless someone from the outside came and rescued them. It was going to be impossible to escape while in the cells, but maybe when they were to be interrogated, he could escape. But other than that, it was impossible to escape from the inside. The bars were not too old, so they would be hard to cut through and there was always a jailer on duty. Whether he was actually paying attention to them, Hasim had no idea, but to break the bars would cause too much attention from the jailer and he would call for guards and if there was one they did not want, it was guards.

"Yes," hissed Dayyan, as he got up from the floor and walked over to Hasim, grabbing his shoulder. "I _do_ think they care, especially if we are talking about escape." Hasim just pushed Dayyan's hand off his shoulder. Dayyan sneered. "You think you're so high and mighty, don't you Hasim? Or have you given up and decided to accept defeat?"

The Saracen prisoners had all stopped what they were doing to watch what was going on. Most of them would side with Dayyan, but a quarter of them really liked Hasim. The prisoners snickered, as they saw Dayyan grip one of the cell bars and stare at Hasim. They knew in a moment, Dayyan could beat Hasim to a pulp, but some of them disagreed. Dayyan was good with a sword, but they had never actually seen him fight without a weapon. But Hasim was excellent with his fists and legs. He threw hard punches and even harder kicks.

"No," replied Hasim, as he quickly turned around and grabbed Dayyan's throat. "I _haven't_ given up, but I have realized what we can and cannot do. I have realized what is possible and what _isn't_ possible. Unlike you, _Dayyan_, I am not going to delude myself with false hope. If there is a way to escape, I shall find one and you should consider yourself damn lucky if I come back to rescue you." The Saracen's were now staring intently at Dayyan and Hasim. A jailer also had come to watch what was happening.

"Let go of me, Hasim!" Dayyan yelled, grabbing Hasim's arm and twisting it, so his arm was behind his back. Hasim realized just how close Dayyan was to breaking his arm and decided he needed to cool it down. Arguing and fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere besides Heaven. Hasim tensed his arm up, but then let the tension go. Dayyan felt that and weakened his grip on Hasim's arm, as he whispered in his ear. "Hasim … _Nafisa, _be more careful. If they figure out you're a woman, there's no telling what they will do to you. I promised your father I would protect you and I shall, but you need to be less heated."

That set Nafisa over the edge. She quickly tensed up again, as she grabbed the collar of Dayyan's tunic, bent down and twist, then came up and shoved Dayyan against the cell bars. Dayyan grunted in pain, as she shoved Dayyan's face harder to the bars. Dayyan realized he had lost to her. Nafisa, of all people, who used to be the kindest, nicest woman he had met, was now violent and short tempered. I guess it's what the Holy Lands do to a person, thought Dayyan. Nafisa leaned towards Dayyan and whispered into his ear.

"I do _not_ need your protection, _Dayyan_. I can protect myself just as well as you can," she said in a high-pitched voice softly. She was using her natural voice. She hadn't sounded like a woman in three years. Dayyan made a small smile. He missed the sound of her voice; it was so beautiful and soft, like rose petals flowing through the wind.

Just then they heard the doors to the dungeon open and the quick footsteps of people coming down the coble stone stairs. Nafisa quickly released Dayyan and went back down to sit in her corner. Her hood had fallen off, to reveal her face. She was much lighter than the rest of them, but her dark, raven-colored hair made her look even lighter. She quickly grabbed her hood and covered herself again, so people could only see her eyes. Dayyan had gone to the corner closest to the cell door and leaned against the wall. When the Sheriff, Sir Guy, and two guards had come in, he acted like he just noticed them. He looked up them with a dark, menacing glare that was met with the same look from Guy.

"That one," the Sheriff said, as he pointed to Dayyan. The jailer unlocked the cell, as the two guards quickly walked in and grabbed Dayyan. Nafisa had stood up in protest, but then looked down at the floor and slid back down. The Sheriff smiled at her weakness, as Dayyan was shoved out of the cell. The Sheriff smiled at Dayyan, as Dayyan glared at him. The Sheriff motioned to the guards, and they led him out of the dungeon. The Sheriff and Guy started to walk out of sight, but then the Sheriff stopped. He turned around on his heel and pointed to Nafisa.

"You're next," he said, as he smiled and then walked out of the dungeon. Nafisa mentally cursed herself for not doing anything, but what could she do? If she made a sight, they would take her first and learn she was actually a girl and not a guy. Then they would use her weakness against her, but like she had anything that they wanted. Nafisa punched the wall and then quickly held onto her hand. Pain ran through her hand and she cursed herself for doing that.

"Damn it!" she finally said, as she got up to pace around. Her cellmate, Achmed, just watched her. He was the quiet type who didn't really do anything but what he was told to do. He was an amazing fighter, but a really kind person at heart. He didn't want to fight, but he had no choice.

"Calm down, Hasim!" yelled another Saracen named Imram. He was tall, dark, and extremely handsome, Nafisa had noted on several occasions. He wasn't your average townsperson either. He had been part of Isam's private council, which was a high ranking for any person. He was strong and an extremely skilled warrior, with both a sword and a bow. He wasn't the best with physical fights, but his size gave him the upper hand in almost any fight. But the one best thing about him was that he was caring. Nafisa had a good idea that Imram knew that she wasn't a man and she wasn't named Hasim, but he had never said anything to suggest she was anything but a man. Though the way he _treated_ her suggested he knew. It wasn't that he tried to make a move on her, or tried to have sex with her, but he was _kinder_ and gentler with her than any of the other men.

"I can't!" she yelled back, her voice returning to it's deep, low sound again. Nafisa hated talking like a man, but she couldn't risk exposure. She knew in a heartbeat the men would take advantage of her; even if they were married, they'd forget all about the promises they made to them just to be with a woman again. Nafisa couldn't let that happen, she just couldn't. She wasn't the type of person who would come and steal a husband when he wasn't with his wife. She refused to be that type of person. Luckily for her though, Imram was not married and did not have anyone waiting for him when he returned…_if_ he returned.

If, thought Nafisa. That was the most terrorizing word to any of the men here, if. That word was almost false hope to them, but it was also a decree on their lives. If suggested they would probably not make it, and probably was the right word. Only a quarter of the men would live out their lives with their wife and children, while the rest perished in war in the blood of their comrades. It was a disturbing topic for them, but a pressing one at that. Every man, when he would wake up, always wondered if today was the day. Was today the day he would die with his fellow soldiers? Was today the last day he would smell the air and feel the sand blowing against his face? Was today the last day he could dream of going back home to see his wife and kids?

Is today the day I'm going to give in, thought Nafisa. She shuddered. No, she thought, I will not and _cannot_ give in to the Sheriff's methods of torture. I cannot. If Nafisa gave in, she would tell them that she was in fact a woman and not a man and that would prompt the end of it. They would probably kill her, feeling as if she was just another person who inhabited a cell that could, in fact, be used to hold a "real" criminal. They would think of her as garbage or an extra hassle for them to deal with. They would not care that she was a woman; they would treat her as if she was another criminal who they could care less of.

"Hasim, Hasim … Hasim!" yelled Achmed, breaking her from the dark thoughts that took over her mind. Nafisa turned to Achmed, who had gotten up to see if she was fine. He was only a couple of feet away from her and already, she was giving into the temptation. He was a man, a _man_. She hadn't had close contact with a man who wasn't trying to kill her in the longest time, besides for Dayyan, who she could only dream of killing. He had killed her brother and forced her into this war; a war that a woman of nineteen had no business being in. But yet, here she was, standing in a cell, just waiting to be tortured for information. How had it come to this, she wondered. How was she, a woman, sitting in a cell with eighteen other men because of a war? How was it that she was going to die being thought of as a man? How was it she had trusted Dayyan and fought by his side, when he brought her to this hellish place?

"How was it?" she whispered to herself. Unfortunately, Achmed had heard her and he arched an eyebrow. Achmed quickly grabbed for her arm and began to shake her. What, what's he doing, she thought. Why is he doing this to me?

"Snap out of it, Hasim! What's gotten into you?" asked Achmed, as he held onto her arm and looked into her eyes. Nafisa quickly turned away. No, she couldn't let him see she was a girl. All the men she had killed out in battle knew she was a woman because when they stared into her eyes as they died, they saw the saddened, female eyes behind the stone cold look. Only those men knew her secret, but they couldn't tell anyone, now could they? "Hasim!"

"What?" she hissed, breaking free of his grip. She went over back to her corner and sat down. She was tired of being in this cell and it had only been an hour or two. Was this how she was going to spend the rest of her life? Caged and beaten? She hoped not.

"What's wrong with you, Hasim? You're acting … strange," Achmed said in a low voice, as he walked over to Nafisa and sat down next to her. Nafisa shook her head.

"I don't know. I guess the realization that we're all going to die in this cell has hit me," she proclaimed, looking away from Achmed. "I guess the fact that we're not going to see our families and the last time we saw them was three years ago." Achmed chuckled. Nafisa shot her head over and glared at him, but he continued to chuckle.

"I guess I'm lucky to have been an orphan child. I have no one to care if I'm gone or if I ever come back." He chuckled slightly again. "It's ok if you're scared Hasim. After all, you're only nineteen, hardly considered a man, especially with your physique. Don't take it personally, Hasim," he continued. Nafisa glared at him. "It's just, you're so tiny. You can't expect people to think you're extremely strong or anything near that."

"Sure, Achmed," she retorted, "because I can't kill as many as you can out there. I have killed more than you can imagine, especially with my _physique_ and everything." Achmed slightly chuckled, but was taken aback by how seriously she took it.

"I'm sorry Hasim, I didn't mean to offend you so much, but not many thought you were capable of killing when you first came to the camp," Achmed stated. Nafisa rolled her eyes. Of course no one thought she could do anything, she was tiny! She had been sixteen when she first came to the camp and it showed! It definitely showed that she was only sixteen, but she looked fourteen if she had actually been a guy.

"It's ok," she replied, realizing she sounded too much like a girl. "I was a tiny little thing…and I still _am_. I have been cursed with the worst body size for a warrior." Achmed laughed. "What? You don't think I'm a warrior?"

"No, no," snickered Achmed, "it's not that I don't think you're a warrior, but I think the men here would say something different. They'd probably call you … well, annoying." Nafisa growled. "It's like you're a little kid trying to play with the big boys, Hasim. They honestly think you should still be in the training camps." Nafisa gritted her teeth. She knew that's what all the men thought; she heard them say how she wasn't fit to be here, but she disagreed. She worked her ass off to pass for a boy and to get in and she wasn't going to let some bad talking discourage her.

"Yeah, I know that's what they think, but I don't give a damn. I've worked too hard to let some bad mouthing get the better of me," she said confidently. Achmed snickered.

"That's what they don't like. You've got a steady head on some good shoulders—small shoulders, but good shoulders—and they know you belong here. They just don't want to admit it. But just know, you're too cocky and one day you're gonna get killed for it," he said strictly. Nafisa nodded her head. Yeah, I do need to stop being so damn cocky, she thought.

"How do you think Dayyan's holding up?" she asked, but more to herself.

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A/N: Hope you liked it. This is taking place during the episode of Treasure of the Nation. I changed it up a bit, but it still follows the general story line. No flames please!


	3. An Empty Exchange

Dayyan had his hands tied behind a flimsy wooden chair. He struggled to loosen the ropes, but it did nothing but burn against his skin. He gritted his teeth as searing hot pain ran through his wrists, but he kept struggling against his bonds. After a few minutes, he stopped, realizing it was a hopeless cause. Instead of worrying about himself, he began to think about Nafisa. He hoped she was doing fine in her cell, but he knew that fighting in the Holy Lands had made her anxious and more beast like. She hated being caged up like an animal, that was a trait that had never changed since she was a young girl. He chuckled to himself. He could see her pacing in the cell, randomly punching the wall or rattling the cell bars out of frustration. She had a short fuse and that was what made her a powerful soldier, but a stupid one at that.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door open and shut. He looked over to see the Sheriff and Guy walking over to him. They stood in front of him, the Sheriff holding a small dagger and twisting it gently against his index finger. Guy glared menacingly at Dayyan, hoping to intimidate him. It wasn't working. Dayyan just stared back at Guy with equal hatred in his eyes. He didn't care who Guy was or what ranking he had, all he cared about was if he would suffer for doing this. He knew whey King Richard had done this: they wanted information about Saladin and the war. But, to what would soon be to the Sheriff and Guy's disappointment, he had no secret information. He was not one of the soldiers who had been called up by Saladin himself to receive and protect information that affected the war. He didn't quite understand why, since he was such an upstanding person, but he figured that Saladin wanted to hide the information with people the Sheriff would least suspect.

"So," the Sheriff began, breaking Dayyan from his thoughts, "what do you know about the information passed from Saladin to petty little soldiers like you?" His words were demeaning. Dayyan wanted to leap from his chair and rip that smug smile off of the Sheriff's face. Dayyan struggled against his restraints, making the Sheriff chuckle in delight at Dayyan's failure. "You're not going to get out of those, _Saracen_." Dayyan growled.

"It's _Dayyan_ to you _Sheriff_. And I don't have any information to give _you_," Dayyan hissed through gritted teeth. The smug smile the Sheriff once had disappeared quickly. He gestured to Guy and suddenly, Dayyan found Guy's fist slamming into his the side of his face. Dayyan's head flew to the side and blood came out of his open mouth. Dayyan's head fell down to his chest and he then looked up with fire burning in his eyes. He was going to make the both of them pay for that.

"Well, _Dayyan_, you better tell us something, or this'll become very painful for you," the Sheriff said menacingly. Dayyan shot his eyes over to the Sheriff who stared at Dayyan. He wasn't pleased with him at all. Even if he didn't have any information, it'd still be entertaining to watch Guy destroy him. Dayyan dropped his head down. He hated to do this, but he needed to make sure Nafisa stayed safe and this was the only way to do it. Forgive me, he thought, as he looked up at the Sheriff and opened his mouth.

"If I tell you someone who knows something, will you take care not to harm one of the warriors?" Dayyan asked. The Sheriff eyed him, confusion written all over his face. He stroked his beard for a second and thought about the proposition.

"Can you be sure this person knows something?" he asked, still thinking about it. He probably wouldn't let the guy go, even if one of them gave him information. Perfect, he thought. I'll get the information without having to do anything besides torturing the lad until he talks.

"Yes. He told us that Saladin had talked to him," Dayyan said. A wide smile appeared on the Sheriff's face. This was going to be perfect for him. He would be able to report back to Prince John that they had found something out and he would use it against his brother, King Richard. The Sheriff crossed his arms.

"Very well," he said. A look of relief fell across of Dayyan's face and a slight smile appeared. "Who is this man who knows the information? And who is the one you want freed?"

"Imram knows something. I would like you to free Hasim. He was in my cell," he answered. The Sheriff smiled as he snapped at a guard to go get Imram. The guards nodded their heads and left the room.

"So, why do you want Hasim freed? Why would you give information over to us just to free someone, who isn't even you?" The Sheriff asked, hoping that maybe Dayyan would spill something. Maybe this Hasim was a part of an escape plan. If that were the case, he'd have Hasim executed by the night. Dayyan sighed.

"Hasim isn't actually named Hasim._ Her _name is Nafisa." The Sheriff and Guy's eyes widened. Guy, who had been leaning against the wall, had stood up straight and walked over to Dayyan. "We grew up together and I'm the reason she's here. I want her to be free so she can maybe live a normal life. The Holy Lands have taken a toll on her and I want her nightmare to end."

"Ah," the Sheriff simply said. Dayyan nodded his head. He was ashamed for what he had just done, but also a little relieved. Nafisa would be safe from all of this and she would be a free Saracen. But what good would that do in a place where everyone wanted them dead? It was still better than nothing though. "Guy. Go retrieve Nafisa, but call her by Hasim. They don't yet know she's a girl, so let's keep it that way." Guy nodded his head as he left the room to go down and get Nafisa.

Meanwhile, Nafisa had settled down next to Achmed. The two of them just sat against the wall and meditated over their situation. There was no way they could get out from the inside, so they needed someone from the outside to let them out. Or they could just call the guard over and knock him out, but that wasn't too practical. It would work, but it would be loud and draw attention to them. So, in the end, they would end up right where they started. Nafisa sighed as she hit the ground lightly. As far as she knew, they were going to be stuck in this cell until the Sheriff and his stupid little puppy boy tortured them to death.

"You. Come with us. The Sheriff wants to see you," two guards said, as they pointed to Imram. Nafisa shot up and slammed herself against the cell bars. All of the Saracen stared wide-eyed at her. She started slamming herself against the bars and screaming at the top of her lungs. She knew Imram had talked to Saladin and she couldn't let the information be spilled to the Sheriff.

"NO! YOU LITTLE COWARDLY SCUM! COME HERE AND TAKE ME YOU PATHETIC LITTLE PUPPIES! YOU'RE NOTHING!" she screamed, as Guy ran down into the dungeon. He saw the girl, Nafisa, slamming herself against the cell bars and the guards walking over and unlocking the doors. They opened the doors and Nafisa did a roundhouse kick to the first guard. He grunted as he fell down the ground. She screamed as she sprinted to the other guard. The Saracen began cheering on Nafisa as she slammed herself against the guard. The two fell down and Nafisa got up, but the guard grabbed her foot and threw her down to the ground. She hit the ground with a loud thud. The guard she had roundhouse kicked had gotten up. He walked over to Nafisa and kicked her in the stomach repeatedly. The one she slammed into punched her in the face. She screamed.

"ENOUGH!" screamed Guy, as he walked over to the three of them. Nafisa was curled up on the floor, bleeding from her mouth. The two guards looked over at Guy and explained what had happened. Guy had little patience to hear the story. "I don't care! Take the man you came down to get! GO! NOW!" The two guards ran over to Imram's cell and unlocked it. They grabbed Imram and hurried him out of the dungeon. Guy walked over to Nafisa and grabbed her by the back of her cloak and pulled her up. She made a loud moan as he pushed her forward. She tripped and fell onto one of the cells. She looked up and began to walk out of the dungeon with Guy. The pain in her face and gut was unbelievable. It was nowhere near the pain she had felt when she had been sliced in her back and legs, but it was still damn painful.

They exited the dungeon and she collapsed. It hurt more than she had thought it would. Guy grunted as he picked her up and began to walk to where the Sheriff was holding Dayyan. He looked down at Nafisa and saw her face for what it truly was. She was a little pale, probably from being beaten up and had blood coming from her mouth. Her hair was still up and her eyes were half open. They were a beautiful auburn color and Guy couldn't help but notice that she had a beautiful face. He couldn't believe that he had believed she was he in the beginning. It was amazing how well she had hid her feminine side and kept to acting like a man. She has will, he thought.

He walked into the room where Dayyan and the Sheriff were. The two of them looked up at Guy and stared at Nafisa. Dayyan's eyes widened as he saw that Guy was carrying her and that she had blood dripping down her face. She looked destroyed. She must've decided to fight with the guards and had, obviously, lost. The Sheriff stared at her. He couldn't figure out what he thought of her. Was she just stupid or gutsy? Did she have a death wish? Whatever. He could care less what had motivated this girl to join the army. Guy placed her down on the floor, propping her up against the wall. She opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes landed on Dayyan and malice grew inside of them.

"Nafisa! What happened to you? What did you do?" Dayyan asked, struggling against his bonds to run over and comfort her. Nafisa glared at him as she wiped the blood off of her face. She struggled to get up and finally did. She limped over to Dayyan and stared at him. He looked at her, worrying for her well-being. With as much force as she could, she sent a punch flying at his face. She screamed at him, punching him after every sentence.

"You stupid idiot! Why did you tell them about me? I could have done fine! You are so stupid to have turned me in!" she yelled, punching him in the face. The Sheriff had a surprised look on his face. He definitely hadn't expected this from her. His mouth turned into a large 'O' after every punch she threw at Dayyan. That must hurt, the Sheriff thought. Better him than me though. Finally, she stopped and listened to hear his response.

"Nafisa! I promised your father I would take care of you! I can't let you be tortured to death! You don't belong here. You're here because of me." He dropped his head, ashamed. A tear rolled down Nafisa's face as she grabbed Dayyan's shoulder and punched him in the gut. Dayyan made a loud grunt as she punched him again. More tears ran down her face and she landed one last gut punch.

"Yes! You are! If you hadn't killed Hasim, I wouldn't be here! But now! You wanted me so badly you killed my own brother to prove you wanted me! Now where did your love land me? It landed me in the Holy Lands and a cell in Nottingham castle!" she screamed, falling to the floor on her knees and covering her face. She cried into her hands, weeping for the loss of her brother and the jealousy that had taken over Dayyan. She wept for the loss of her life, which was now in the hands of the Sheriff. She wept for the fact that she knew she was going to die.

"That's why I told them about Imram! I wanted to make up for bringing you here, Nafisa. I love you and I don't want you to suffer the same fate as we will." Nafisa shot her head up, fire burning in her eyes. She glared at him, not believing he would sell them over just so she could go free. Nafisa chuckled. She knew the Sheriff wouldn't let her go, not ever. He'd kill her like everyone else. She stood up and stared at him.

"Do you really believe he's going to let me go?" she hissed. The Sheriff was going to say something about the statement, but decided it'd be more hurtful if Dayyan learned that he had only helped the Sheriff and not himself from Nafisa. Dayyan stared at her. "The Sheriff is never going to let me go! It doesn't matter what you gave him! He will torture me for information I do not have and kill me just like the rest! Then he'll do the same thing to all the other Saracen warriors who come to Nottingham! You gave him everything, while he will give you nothing." Dayyan shot his eyes over to the Sheriff. He shrugged his shoulders.

"You really are a foolish man, aren't you?" the Sheriff stated. Dayyan's eyes widened. How could he have done this? How could he have let his love for Nafisa cloud his better judgment? She was right; he was stupid. "Take Nafisa away."

Just as Guy was going to go get Nafisa, the door opened and Allan walked in. He looked at the scene to see two Saracen prisoners, one tied up and one standing, but who shortly fell to the ground. Nafisa lost her balance and fell to the ground and panted. She was tired from the fight and punching Dayyan. Dayyan struggled against his restraints to go over and help Nafisa, but he couldn't break free. Nafisa turned her head to look at Allan and she stared at him. He remembered her. She was the one who had spit on the Sheriff's foot, except she looked different. His eyes widened as he realized she was female.

"What do you want?" sneered Guy, as he walked over to Allan. Allan kept staring at Nafisa. She was so beautiful, even if she still had men clothes on. Guy snapped at Allan, who broke from his trance. He stared at guy. He had temporarily forgotten why he was here. "Well? Talk!"

"Uhmm…the stolen food that Robin Hood took. I know where he's storing it," Allan said, still looking at Nafisa. Nafisa's eyes widened as she heard Robin's name. She hadn't heard that name for years. He was alive. She made a small smile. He was alive, but well she was unsure of. But if he had stolen food, he had to be well. He just _had_ to be.

"Ah, very good," said the Sheriff, as he clapped his hands together. "Guy, go with Allan to get the food back for the mercenaries…before they start taking _our_ precious food. Off with you." He gestured for them to leave and Guy went to the door, but Allan continued to stare at Nafisa. Even though it wasn't truly obvious she was a girl, she still looked beautiful. He reminded her of Djaq, but she was different, of course. The Sheriff noticed Allan staring at Nafisa and thought. Maybe he should reward the lad for giving them all this information. Maybe he would like to take the girl as his wife. "Chop, chop. We don't have all day." Allan shook his head and took one last glance at Nafisa, before he swiftly left with Guy.

"Now," said the Sheriff, pondering on what he should do with Nafisa. "Take her to get cleaned up." The guards came and helped her up. "A little reward is in favor of our lad, Allan." Nafisa willingly went with the guards, fumbling after every step.

"NO! NAFISA! NAFISA!" yelled Dayyan, again struggling with his restraints. She looked back at him wearily and shook her head. They had lost, the both of them. She had accepted it, it was time he accept it too.

"Oh hush hush. She'll be in good hands. Now, I must go to the cave," he said, walking out of the room after Nafisa and the guards. In the background as they left, they heard Dayyan's screams.

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The gang came out of their camp, getting ready for the journey to Nottingham castle. They were going to swarm the castle, again. Robin sighed. He wished he wasn't going to put the gang through this, but Nafisa was like family to him. He couldn't let her be tortured or killed at the hands of the Sheriff. Robin gestured for them to follow him and they began to walk towards Nottingham castle, when came a loud shouting noise and a big, burly, blond hair man came jumping out of nowhere in front of Robin. He held a big staff and swung it at Robin who ducked. Two more men came jumping down and began to fight the rest of Robin's gang. Robin punched the man with the staff, who in return swung it at Robin. He fell down and the man stabbed the staff into the ground, near his crotch. Robin's eyes widened as he recognized the man with the staff.

"LEGRAND!" he yelled, as Legrand was about to hit Robin with the staff. He laughed heartily as he dropped his staff. Robin, seeing Legrand's guard was down, hit him in the crotch and jumped up. Legrand fell to the ground hard.

"Robin!" he yelled back from the ground. Legrand's men had stopped attacking and ran over to Legrand. Robin extended a hand and helped Legrand up. He patted him on the back, the two chuckling.

"Guys, this is Legrand from the Holy Lands. We fought side by side for the King," Robin explained. The gang continued to stare at Legrand. He smiled at them, who only a few of them returned the smile.

"I have a message from the King, Robin," he said, turning towards Robin. Robin cocked his eyebrow up. "We are looking for thesaurus patriae." Djaq screwed up her face.

"It's Latin for 'treasure of the nation'," she said, wondering why the King sent the message in Latin. Legrand's eyebrows rose as he eyed Djaq.

"You know Latin?" he asked. Djaq nodded her head. "What a woman." Djaq smiled. Legrand turned to Robin. "We need to move now. I have a message from the King. Our contact is a man named Paxton. We're supposed to finish our job my midsummer's night. We must hurry." Robin cursed under his breath. This was from the King; they _had_ to do the job. But Nafisa. She was important, but not as important as the King. Djaq eyed Robin suspiciously. She knew what he was going to do and she could well understand, but it didn't mean she felt it was right.

"Nafisa can wait, the King cannot," Robin admitted. Djaq sighed. She understood, but she didn't like it. Robin hated to do this to Nafisa. God only knew what was happening to her right now. She could be being tortured by Guy and the Sheriff this instant, but he had to not think that way. He had to hope that she was doing fine and she was just sitting in a cell, bored. Forgive me Nafisa, but this is the King, thought Robin.

"Robin," Djaq said, all eyes turning towards her. She smiled faintly. "We will rescue her later." Robin nodded his head. Legrand and his men were confused, but figured it had to do with personal reasons. Though Legrand recognized the name, but he couldn't remember where. Maybe it was from the Holy Lands that he had heard the name. But he knew for sure that this was not the first time that he had heard that name exit Robin's lips.

"Very well. We do this and then we go to rescue Nafisa. Let's finish this quickly, since our deadline will be up soon," Robin announced. The gang nodded their heads. Robin began to run to Nottingham town in a flurry, as the group followed him. He had to finish this quickly. Not only for the deadline, but also because of Nafisa. He had to make sure he put his full effort into the job and not let his thoughts dwell to Nafisa. He had to finish this for the King.

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Nafisa was sitting in a warm tub of water. She sighed. It had been ages since she'd been bathing alone, in hot water. She smiled faintly, but then scowled. She would have been better off in the dungeon instead of getting special treatment. If Dayyan hadn't told anyone, she wouldn't be here and Imram wouldn't be getting tortured. But, she thought, everyone left, so maybe he's still in holding in a separate room. She smiled. The Sheriff, Guy, and that man Allan were gone. Besides that, there were just guards here. She could take out some guards. This was the moment she had been waiting for. This was her escape now.

Nafisa silently got out from the tub and grabbed a towel. She dried herself and her hair off. She walked over and put on her clothes. She had to be silent or else the guards would hear she was escaping. She smiled. There was no way they could stop her now. She grabbed her cloak and put it on, then grabbed the hood and covered her head. She thought for a moment. She was pretty recognizable if anyone saw her face and hair. She needed to cut her hair. She looked around the room, but couldn't find a knife. Figures, she thought, they wouldn't leave any sharp objects with her.

Now, she had to figure out how to get out. There were two ways out of this room. One, she could burst from the door and take the guards by surprise, but she didn't know how many guards there were and if there were any nearby. That was a bad plan she figured. Two, she could leave from the window. She walked over to the window and looked down. She was on the second floor of the castle. Hmm, she thought, not too bright that Sheriff is, is he? She smiled. She could make the jump and besides, she recognized the courtyard and would be able to go get her stuff, which was down in the dungeon.

"Thanks for the bath," she whispered, before she jumped out of the window and rolled down onto the stone floor. The guards seemed not to hear her and she thanked the Lord that they hadn't. She quickly ran to another window and jumped onto the ledge to look around. No guards. She smiled. This was almost too easy. She jumped into the room and looked around. On the table was a small knife. Perfect. She grabbed the knife and walked over to a mirror. She took down her hood and stared at her reflection. She sighed as she brought the knife up to her hair and sliced some off. Her hair was side parted and she took part of her hair and made slanted bangs. She grabbed her hair and began to cut her hair.

After a few minutes, she looked back at her reflection. Her hair was now down to her neck and full of layers. She realized it was an odd hairstyle, but it would have to do. She had messed up so many times that she had to layer it out or else she would have to make it extremely short. She faintly smiled at her reflection. She looked like a woman again. She then realized she'd been wasting too much time. She had to go and get her weapons. Then she had to find Robin. She smiled. She couldn't wait to see Robin and see if he had changed at all. And Much, she thought. Much was such a sweetheart to her. She couldn't wait to see the both of them.

Nafisa went to the door and listened for footsteps. It was dead silent. She slowly and quietly opened the door to see an empty corridor. She crept out and shut the door silently. She went down the corridor and through the castle. It was extremely extravagant and confusing with many hallways and corridors. Finally, she found the dungeon entrance. She pulled her hood over her head again. She walked in and saw the key master. He was fast asleep and she tiptoed past him. There she saw the guards guarding the cells, but not the weapons. She quietly walked over and saw her sword and her belt. She grabbed the belt and fastened it to her waist. She grabbed her sword and tied it to the belt. She looked around at the weapons. She didn't think it would matter if she took other's weapons. It's not like they had any use for them. She grabbed a bow and some arrows and swung the arrow holder around her back and front. She saw some throwing daggers and threw them in a leather pouch and tied it to her belt. That was enough she figured.

She looked over at her once cell mates. They hadn't known her presence. I'm sorry, she thought, I will come back for you though. She turned around and walked back out of the dungeon. She maneuvered through the hallways until she reached the stables. She smiled. This is what I need, she thought. She saw a young boy attending to a bay colored stallion. She crept over to him from behind and grabbed his mouth. He struggled to get out, but she held tight.

"Shh. I won't hurt you. Where are the saddles and reins?" she whispered. The boy pointed to a room in the stables. She didn't trust to go in there. "Go get a saddle and reins for me and don't you _dare_ think about screaming for help." The boy nodded his head and she let go of him. He ran to the room and she walked over to the stallion and pet him. Quickly, the boy returned with a saddle and reigns. He threw the saddle over the horse and fit it to the horse. He put the reins over the head and fit them. He gave Nafisa the reins. She smiled. "Thank you." He nodded his head. She climbed up onto the horse and lightly kicked it's side. It started off in a slow walk out of the stables, then she kicked it a little harder and it burst into a bolt. The horse ran out into the courtyard and out into the town. She maneuvered through the town, trying to miss all the people. She saw the guards at the gate to the outside jump up and begin to close the gates. She cursed as she pushed the horse on and it ran faster until they were out of the town.

She smiled as she saw the vastness of everything. They rode into the forest and followed her gut. She had to find Robin and Much. She had no idea where they were, yet her gut told her to go deeper into the forest. She sighed. She hoped her gut was right and rode on through the forest.

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A/N: Hoped you like it. Please no flames! R&R!


	4. Thesaurus Patriae

Nafisa rode through Sherwood forest as fast as she could. Even though she didn't know where she was going, her gut said she was going the right way and since that was all she had to go off of, she would have to trust it. She wasn't sure about what she was doing, but what else was there to do? She had escaped and there was no way she was going to go back to Nottingham castle until she knew she would be able to come back out of it, alive. She knew she could go back in, but whether she could come back out alive, that was another story. But honestly, she didn't even want to go back, not even to save her fellow warriors. The only reason that she _might_ want to go back is so she could cut Dayyan's throat. She hated that man more than anything else in the entire world. She wanted him to die, to _pay_ for the hell he brought her through. She didn't deserve to be in this war and yet she found herself running away and following her gut. She had no idea if she would find Robin and if she didn't, what was she supposed to do then? No one would give her the time of day.

She sighed. She had to try and think positively on the situation. She knew she would find Robin _eventually_, but could she honestly wait that long? She growled. Dammit Nafisa, be more positive, she thought. She realized she had no idea where she was and the sun was beating down hard on her. She looked around and saw a field and stones standing up tall. She rode into the circle of stones and looked around. She saw footprints on the ground and realized someone had just been here. Let's just hope it was Robin, she thought. She looked around and saw a mass of footprints to the hedge stone to the North. She rode up to it and got off the horse. She examined it and found a half circle missing from the edge of it. She went behind it and looked through to see the hedge stones aligned to make a clear through small circle. She smiled. She grabbed her bow and took out an arrow. She aligned it with the circles and let go, as the piercing arrow cut through the air.

"Let's see where you lead to," she said, as she ran to the horse and mounted it. She kicked its side and rode off to follow the arrow. She began to wonder if she was following the right thing. What if she was following the Sheriff and not Robin? Though from what she could tell, the Sheriff had a grudge against Robin, so maybe that meant the Sheriff was following him. She stared straight forward as she rode back into the forest. She rode on until she started to hear voices. She slowed the horse down and made it come to a stop when she saw the Sheriff leaving a cave in the ground. She jumped off the horse and went behind a bush to get a better view.

"C'mon now! You heard him! Kirkless Abby! Go!" the Sheriff cried, as she saw mercenaries come out from the cave as well. She noticed the Sheriff talking to a man and then pulled out a knife on him. He stabbed him in the gut and let him fall to the ground. She stared as he whispered something to the dying man. He then mounted his horse and rode off deeper into the forest. She waited for a few minutes to make sure that they weren't coming back out. When she figured they were gone, she went over to the horse. It stared at her.

"Shh. Don't leave," she whispered, petting its nose. It neighed and she smiled. He probably understood her. She looked back around and ran down to the cave. She placed a hand on her sheathed sword just in case and walked down into the cave. When she was there, she saw a tunnel leading to a dead end. She screwed up her face. Why was the Sheriff down here if it was a dead end? But then she looked down and saw clubs near the rock and heard voices.

"C'mon! We need to get out of here!" Robin said. Nafisa smiled as she heard him pace around the stone room. Voices talked and she wondered who was with him.

"But how? The door's shut," another, deeper voice said. She walked closer to the door. I should probably say something, she thought.

"Robin?" she said to the wall. The voices and noises stopped. Then she heard footsteps going towards the stonewall. They stopped.

"Nafisa?" she heard Robin's voice come back. She smiled. "Nafisa? Is that you?"

"Yes, Robin, it is. How did you get stuck in there? How do I get you out?" she asked in a hurry. A furry of talking appeared out of nowhere and Nafisa's eyes widened. There had to be more people in there than she had initially thought. The talking stopped.

"There's a stone in the wall to your right! Find it and push it!" Robin replied. Nafisa nodded her head and felt all the stones. Finally, she came to one and pushed hard on it and it sunk deeper into the wall. She looked over to the rock and saw it open up. Robin was standing right in front of it and smiled at her. She ran over to him and embraced him, as he spun her around and put her back on her feet. "Nafisa! You're alive!" She smiled at him then looked over and saw Djaq. Her eye's widened.

"Saffiya?" she asked, walking over to the other Saracen. Djaq nodded her head. Nafisa's face lit up and she hugged Djaq. A tear rolled down Djaq's face as she embraced Nafisa. It had been three years since she'd seen her and Nafisa loved her just as much as she had when she left. "I didn't think I'd see you here."

"Me too. How have you been?" she asked, pushing her away to look at her. Nafisa looked completely different. Her face looked different, but still recognizable. Her hair though, that was another story. She saw that Nafisa was still somewhat small. She was only about five foot three. She still had the same piercing auburn colored eyes and the same brilliant smile. Her face darkened.

"I have seen much," she replied darkly. Djaq nodded her head and embraced her again. She could only imagine what it was like fighting in the Holy Lands for three years straight. "But enough about that. The Sheriff just killed a man outside and is on his way to Kirklees Abby, whatever that is." Robin nodded his head.

"He must've killed Paxton. Before we go off, let me introduce you to my gang," Robin said, as Nafisa walked over to Robin and looked at the gang. "This is Will." She smiled at Will who smiled back. "This is Little John." She smiled and he nodded his head. She chuckled. Little John, she thought. There's nothing _little _about him. "This, as you know, is Much." Much smiled widely at her and she smiled back. She hadn't thought of him in years, not since a week after she left. "And finally, this is Legrand. He is here temporarily from the Holy Lands." She smiled at Legrand who smiled back at her. "Now, we must go." Everyone nodded their head as they ran out of the cave and up to the surface area. Nafisa's horse neighed and everyone drew their weapons, expecting to see the Sheriff or some mercenaries there.

"No! Don't! It's my horse!" she exclaimed. They all sheathed their weapons and Nafisa walked to behind a bush and came back with a bay colored stallion. Legrand laughed heartily.

"Guys!" Robin said, as he looked at the map. "The cross is on the _north_ side of the bridge. The Sheriff is going the wrong way. Kirklees Abby is on the south side." They smiled.

"So we're looking for a church on the north side," Djaq finished. Robin nodded his head.

"We must be quick though. Nafisa," he said, as everyone looked to her. "You ride on and find the church. See if you can't be a lookout for us, alright?" Nafisa nodded her head. Robin gave her the map to hold onto, since she didn't know how to find the bridge. She took it as she mounted her horse. "Take this and use it as your guide. Once you get near the church, leave the horse somewhere unseen so that the Sheriff doesn't know where we are." She nodded her head again. "Go and be quick. We will catch up with you. But whatever, don't do anything with the thesaurus patriae." She smiled at him.

"I'm not thief, Robin," she said. Robin chuckled.

"I know, now go. We'll catch up." With that, Nafisa rode off through the forest with the gang following her. She rode out of the forest and back to where the hedge stones where. She blew past them and back into another forest. She looked down at the map and followed the markings until she looked up and saw the bridge. She stopped the horse and looked around. She saw a little house and a church. The house looked to be abandoned and big enough to house the horse for a little. She looked around to see if she saw the Sheriff or the mercenaries and rode onto the church when she saw no one there.

She stopped at the house and dismounted the horse. She took its reigns and walked into the house. It was empty with no furnishings. She walked the horse in and left it there, as she walked out of the house and shut the door. She ran to the church and walked in. She walked through the church and looked to her side to see lace draping to another room filled with candles. She saw a big dark figure kneeling in front of some candles and she walked towards it. The figure stood up and turned around. It was an older woman with a burning red dress on. Nafisa looked at her curiously, having no idea who she was.

"And who are you?" the woman said, looking at the young Saracen before her. Nafisa stared at her and her crown. She was royalty.

"I'm Nafisa. I am a friend of Robin. He sent me here to find the thesaurus patriae; the treasure of the nation," she answered. The woman stared at her coldly.

"How can I trust you?" she asked. Nafisa shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. You can't. But I promise you that I _am_ a friend of Robin," she stated bluntly. The woman faintly smiled. She liked her honesty.

"I am Queen Eleanor of Aquitane, my dear. I am King Richard's mother," she replied. Nafisa's eyes widened as she quickly dropped to one knee.

"Your majesty," she replied. Although Nafisa did not think of her as her queen, she knew to respect royalty, no matter what. She looked up at Queen Eleanor who gestured her to stand. She stood up and smiled at her. She heard footsteps and turned around quickly, drawing her sword from its scabbard. She saw Robin and the gang, smiled and sheathed her sword. The gang, except for Djaq, all fell to one knee.

"Your majesty," Robin said, as Queen Eleanor walked over to Robin and smiled.

"Robin, I thought we were friends." Robin looked up and smiled at her. "Next time, come first instead of sending someone else." He chuckled.

"Yes, your majesty. I'm sorry I sent Nafisa, but I had no other choice. She is a good person and a good fighter. I knew that if she could find you, she would keep you safe," he replied. Nafisa smiled and so did Queen Eleanor.

"You're late," she replied bluntly. Robin chuckled as he stood up.

"I'm sorry, your majesty. We were … _delayed_," he explained.

"We thought you were in France," Legrand said. Queen Eleanor looked over at him and stared.

"No wonder it's taken you some time to find me, Legrand. But no, my dear son Prince John invited me for Christmas. I went and in return, he locked me up in a tower," she replied madly.

"He declares you as giving him your support and he would've taken the troops of Aquitane to fight against King Richard," Robin replied. The Queen nodded her head.

"But you're the Queen Mother!" replied Legrand, disbelievingly. The Queen glared at Legrand.

"Less of the Mother, _thank you_," she retorted. She looked around at all of the people standing before her. "So, this is Robin Hood's famous outlaws? Hmm." She looked at them all and walked over to Djaq and Nafisa. "And who are you?"

"That is Djaq. She and Nafisa are from the Holy Lands," Robin answered. The Queen looked intrigued by the information.

"Ah. You're both very far from home. Why did you choose to fight this battle here?" she asked.

"It chose me, your majesty. I fight here alongside my friends," answered Djaq. The Queen smiled.

"I was brought here because they planned to torture me to talk and give them secret information," Nafisa said coldly. The Queen eyed her. "King Richard sent Saracen prisoners over to Nottingham to learn of secret information that Saladin trusted with some. I was one of the first to be brought here."

"I would very much like to get to know the two of you better," she replied, still eyeing Nafisa.

"This is Much and Will, your majesty," Robin said, gesturing to Much and Will. The Queen went over and smiled at the two. Much kissed her hand and so did Will. The Queen looked over at Little John and eyed him, but not the same way she had eyed Nafisa.

"Yes, but who is this fellow?" she asked seductively. Little John looked down and bustled a little.

"This, your majesty, is Little John," Robin answered. The Queen raised her eyebrows.

"_Little?_ I can't believe there's a part of you that's little." Legrand laughed heartily, as Little John looked nervous. "I could use a man like you at Aquitane. Think about it." Suddenly, two arrows we're shot near the Queen and everyone turned to the doorway to see the mercenaries coming at them with arrows. Legrand and Little John stepped in front of the Queen.

"Behind me, your majesty," Legrand said, as he softly pushed her behind him and Little John. Nafisa ran and closed the door and looked around at the small room. There was no way out, except for the door.

"It's time to leave!" Robin said, readying his bow and arrow.

"That's the only way out," Djaq responded quickly and nervously, holding her short sword.

"Don't worry. Provisions have been made for every occasion. Here, there is a door that leads straight into the forest," the Queen said, pointing below her. There, on the floor, was a stone slab with two handles on it. "Perhaps you can get it for me, _Big Bear_." Little John looked behind to see the Queen looking at him. He sighed and bent down to open the door, but was surprised when the Queen groped him. He jumped a little, looked at her, but went down and lifted up the slab.

"Ah, well, well, well. You _are_ the treasure of the nation, your majesty," the Sheriff said, looking into a little eyehole in the door. The Queen looked menacingly at the Sheriff who smiled at her.

"Your majesty," Little John said from the hole where the slab was. The Queen looked down and Little John grabbed her. She smiled at him and was let down onto the floor.

"You," Nafisa said darkly. She had her sword out and towards the Sheriff. Hers was unlike everyone else's. It was a bit shorter than normal, with a curved, wider blade. The Sheriff looked over and stared at her.

"How did you get out? You're supposed to be waiting for you're soon to be husband, _Allan_," the Sheriff growled. Nafisa glared at him. The gang slightly cringed at the sound of Allan's name.

"I will not be marrying, Allan. Not ever, Sheriff," she growled. The Sheriff mockingly smiled at her.

"Let's go!" Robin yelled, as Nafisa pulled down the eyehole so the Sheriff couldn't see anything. The Sheriff was yelling as they all disappeared into the hole in the floor.

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The gang ran through the forest and finally stopped when they got to a safe clearing in the forest. Nafisa had ran much faster than Robin had expected and had had a good time having a little race with her. Robin came to the clearing a couple steps behind Nafisa. She panted a little, but smiled devilishly at Robin. He smiled back as he looked around. The Queen came up with Little John, behind Legrand who walked over to Nafisa.

"I can't run anymore," the Queen said, out of breath. She leaned against Little John as she tried to catch her breath. Robin went over to the Queen.

"We really shouldn't, your majesty. The Sheriff's men could be on our tails. But a few moments then," he said, as he crouched down. The Queen pulled Little John down with her as she sat on a tree root. Nafisa sat down, a little ways away from the group with Legrand.

"You're a fast runner," Legrand said, catching his breath. Nafisa smiled at Legrand, still panting a little.

"Thanks. You're not half bad for your size either," she replied. Legrand laughed and so did Nafisa.

"Thank you. Where did you learn to run that fast?" he asked, still trying to catch his breath. Nafisa shrugged her shoulders as she leaned back on her arms.

"I don't know. I'm just a good runner. I ran a lot in the Holy Lands and I had to keep up with the guys. I just pushed myself and gradually I became much faster," she answered. She looked at him and cocked her head to the side. She thought she recognized him from the Holy Lands, but she wasn't sure.

"Ah, you were trying to keep up with the boys?" he asked heartily. Nafisa nodded her head and chuckled. He looked at her and smiled. "Ah! Now I know! I remember you from the medic tents. You were the boy that Robin always went to visit in the Holy Lands. Well, girl." Nafisa nodded her head again. "I thought I recognized you and your name. Lord, you've not much grown. How old are you?"

"I'm nineteen. Turning twenty same day as Robin," she replied. Legrand laughed. What a coincidence that she would have the same birthday as Robin.

"Hah! That's funny. Although I'm sure you're much younger than our dear Robin," Legrand said loudly. Everyone looked over and the two of them laughed.

"What's that about my age?" Robin asked, looking a little appalled at the two.

"Nafisa's birthday is same as yours, Robin. Although, as I told her, I'm sure she's much younger than you," Legrand said laughingly. The gang laughed with them and so did Robin. The gang quieted down when Legrand shot up and shushed them. They all listened to the Sheriff yelling at the mercenaries and looked down the hill to see them riding off, deeper into the forest.

"I can't run. I need someone to carry me," she said, trying nonchalantly to indicate that she wanted Little John to carry her. Robin looked at Little John who stared back. He growled and then picked up the Queen.

"I wish I had known I wasn't going to get my horse back again," Nafisa muttered. Robin eyed her curiously. "I stole a horse from the Sheriff so I could make my escape. I liked the horse. Do you think later I could go back and see if the horse is there?" Robin nodded.

"Let's go," Robin said, as they began to run. Nafisa sighed. She hated running. It wasn't because she wasn't good at it, but because it was boring. She thought it to be the most boring thing you could do. She also hated it because whenever she was running, she was running away from someone. She ran all the time in the Holy Lands, but that was so she wouldn't get killed. So, she had assumed running with fear, which was not what it always was, obviously. Maybe though, if she took a leisurely run to look at scenery, she might find it enjoyable. But for now, she found it to be terrorizing.

"C'mon, Nafisa," Legrand said, pushing her forward. Nafisa groaned as she began to run to catch up with the gang. Legrand ran side by side with her. Occasionally, he would look over at her to see how she was holding up, but every time she was doing just fine. Running came naturally to her and the added running in the Holy Lands had also helped her at becoming better at it. She looked over at Legrand who smiled at her and she returned the smile. She couldn't help but notice that he was extremely attractive. Had good features and was very strong. Also had a great personality. She smiled to herself as she pushed on faster, seeing if he could catch up. He chuckled as he ran quicker with her.

The two caught up with the gang and all began to run at the same pace, with Little John just behind by a bit because he was carrying the Queen. As they ran, Nafisa realized she didn't actually know where they were running to or why. They had seen the Sheriff go east, so why were they following them? Wasn't that a bit stupid, she thought. If they were trying to get away from the Sheriff, wouldn't they have gone in the opposite direction of him? Maybe where they were supposed to drop off the Queen was east, so they had no choice. Nafisa shook her head, as she quickened her pace to be with Robin in the front of the gang.

They kept running until they slowed down and came to a rocky cliff in front of them. It towered over them and they saw the grassy trees on top of it. They looked around and realized it was quiet, except for some rustling in the bushes. Robin looked around and saw only one place they could go, which continued through the forest. He looked up and saw some mercenaries come out onto the cliff holding bows, ready to shoot. He looked around and saw more mercenaries come out from hiding. Then, he saw in the only opening, the Sheriff walking over towards them with four mercenaries. He scowled. They had been trapped.

"What's going on?" the Queen asked, as Little John put her down. She looked over at the Sheriff, who was smiling widely. He walked up to them and stopped.

"This, my lady, is an ambush," he answered, his hands behind his back. The gang looked around and saw there was no place for them to go.

"I'm sure there can be some kind of price to buy you off and let us go free," the Queen said. The Sheriff shook his head and clicked his teeth together.

"No, your majesty. I'm afraid you're much more valuable then some jewelry and coins," the Sheriff replied. She scowled at him. "Well, bring her and uhmm … kill the rest." The mercenaries with the Sheriff began to walk up to them, but before they could get any closer, Legrand began to yell as he charged at them with his staff in hand. As Legrand ran toward them, he was shot in the back by one of the mercenaries, but disregarded it as he continued to charge. He knocked down the mercenaries with his staff and as he was swinging it to hit the Sheriff, another arrow hit him in the chest. Momentarily, he stopped and broke the arrow, but by that time, the Sheriff had come up to him, sword in hand, and stabbed him in the stomach. Legrand dropped his staff and fell backwards.

"LEGRAND!" screamed Nafisa, as she ran towards him. In the background, she heard the rest of the gang screaming 'for the Queen' as they appeared from the top of the cliffs and began to attack the mercenaries. Nafisa ran over to him and dropped to his side, cupping his face in her hands. Robin ran past them and towards the Sheriff, who was about to come after Nafisa. Robin began to fight him off, so Nafisa could say good-bye to Legrand.

"Legrand," she whispered, a tear trickling down her face. He forced a smile to his face, as he grabbed her shoulder. She looked at him as he brought her down with him and kissed her. It was the last kiss he'd ever have with someone again, so why not Nafisa? Besides, he did find her rather attractive and they did have somewhat of a special connection. She kissed him as she heard the blades banging against each other and everyone screaming and shouting. Legrand let go of her and lightly pushed her away.

"Fight, Nafisa. For the Queen," he said softly. Nafisa wiped away the tear and nodded her head. He smiled at her as she got up and drew her sword. She charged at some mercenaries who had come up from behind the Sheriff when the attack began. She ran towards them and began slicing away at them. One of them, she blocked his attack to her head with her sword, and then kicked him in the stomach and he fell to the ground. She stabbed another and kicked him away too. She fought off as many as she could until finally, she heard nothing but the sound of Robin's fist colliding against the Sheriff's face. She looked over and saw him fall to the ground, unconscious. Then, all of them who were on the ground floor ran over to Legrand. Nafisa ran to his side and kneeled by him. Little John came over and took Legrand's hand in his.

"A stronger man, I never knew," he said. Legrand was panting, trying to hold on as long as he could. His blue gray eyes were wide open as he stared up at Little John.

"The Queen," he panted. The Queen looked down at Legrand regretfully.

"Legrand," she replied. Legrand looked over in her direction and began to chuckle lightly. Then, he suddenly stopped, eyes wide staring at the sky. He sucked in his last breath, as his eyes closed and his head rolled to the side. Nafisa began to cry as she grabbed his shoulder and cried on it. Little John looked at Legrand's lifeless body.

"Him," he began, as he stared at Legrand, "I liked." They all got up, except for Nafisa, who kept crying on his shoulder. Robin walked over to Nafisa, spun her around and embraced her. She cried harder into Robin's chest, trying to catch her breath at the same time.

"Shhh," he said, stroking her head. "Shhh." Robin grabbed her by the shoulders and made her step back. He looked at her straight in the eye. "Are you going to be alright?" Nafisa nodded her head. She had liked Legrand, even for the little time she had known him for. Less than a day and he had kissed her and she felt as if she lost someone close to her. What an impression he had made on her. But not, she'd known him in the Holy Lands. He had come to see her a couple times when she was being treated. Maybe that was why she cared so much for him, was because he had cared so much for her. She faintly smiled. "It'll be O.K."

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A/N: Well, I hoped you liked this chapter. I know, kind of a random little love thing going on between Legrand and Nafisa, but it was kind of just for kicks. Though, just to let you know, she doesn't cry over everyone who is killed, it's just after he died, she remembers when he would come to see her with Robin in the Holy Lands. It's more of a deeper connection then just what was there, but a bit hard to explain.


	5. It Was All a Lie

Robin and the gang walked back to camp after they had buried Legrand. They all had a solemn look on their face as they walked through the forest. No one talked, but instead meditated on what had happened the day before. So much had happened, that at the end of that day, they had no energy left to even walk back to camp. The day had gone by in a flurry, first with Robin's announcement of Nafisa and then having to save the Queen. And finally, Legrand being stabbed by the Sheriff, ultimately ending his life. It had been a stressful day and now with a half a day ahead of them, they needed to catch up and meditate over the past events. Robin, Much, and Djaq all had to catch up with Nafisa and learn what had been happening in the Holy Lands. Also, they needed to figure out who had gone to see Saladin that was in her party.

They came to the camp, opening up the entrance and walked in. They all stayed quiet and solemn. Nafisa was wiping away the last of her tears as she went over and sat down on a shelf. Robin went over and stood near her. The rest of the gang mulled around the camp, meditating over what had happened. None of them could believe the events that had taken place the past few days. For a while, they had just been mulling around the camp with nothing to do and then all of a sudden, Nafisa and Legrand burst themselves into the gangs' peaceful time. It wasn't as if they didn't want something to do, but so much came too quickly that they were overwhelmed. And now, after everything was done, what were they to do? Robin finally spoke.

"Much. Djaq. We need to talk to Nafisa about everything," he said. Djaq nodded her head as she and Much walked over to Robin and Nafisa. The rest of the gang was curious, but decided maybe it would be best if they didn't force themselves into the conversation. "If you want, Will and Little John, you can listen to." Little John and Will quickly came over to the rest of the gang. Nafisa looked up at Robin, ready for the interrogation. He nodded his head. "Tell us everything." She nodded her head and took a deep breath. This was going to be hard, but it had to be done.

"After I left the medic tents, I went back to my camp, where my party leader beat me. I had been gone for too long and he demanded an answer that I couldn't give him." She shook her head. "At the time, I was still too shocked to come up with a valid reason, so I was left to starve at the camp for three days." Robin stared at her. He wished he hadn't kept her so long, but she needed the treatment. He felt awful. He knew it wasn't his fault, but he still felt responsible. "After three days of being tied up, he let me eat and have rest. The next day I went out and fought. It was the same thing for a year or so. I fought, I killed, and I came back to eat and rest.

"Then, one day while my party and I were fighting, we were knocked unconscious and when we awoke, we were told that we were being shipped to Nottingham to be questioned. They wished to know the secrets that Saladin had told us. So, for countless days, probably a few weeks, we waited to land in England. When we finally did, they transported us to Nottingham where we were to be interrogated. Dayyan, the reason I am in this war, sold out Imram, a Saracen who talked to Saladin, to free me. In the end, the Sheriff decided I would be a good present for Allan, who gave away the hiding spot of the stolen food you took from the mercenaries." Robin scowled. All the food that could've lasted Locksley a winter was now back in the hands to mercenaries. Allan was now as big a problem as Guy and the Sheriff.

"Is your party still in the castle?" Djaq asked. Nafisa nodded her head. She felt a pang of guilt hit her. She should go back to rescue them, but where would they go? They would be outcasts in Nottingham. There was no place for them to hide or live and they couldn't come back to the camp. She sighed. What had she gotten herself into? But she had to go back, if not to rescue them, but to kill Dayyan. He deserved to die for what he had done.

"I should go back and rescue them. But they'd have no place to go or settle down in, but it would be better than being tortured for information," Nafisa said. They nodded their heads. Now, they had another task at hand. They had to rescue the rest of the Saracen prisoners before the Sheriff took his failure out on them and tortured them mercilessly, but like he wouldn't do that to them without being enraged.

"Yes, but we need to know what Imram knows, if the Sheriff hasn't killed him for the information yet," Robin said. Nafisa sighed. She had to tell them now, before they decided to risk their lives on a pointless cause. Robin eyed her. She looked down at the ground, then up at the gang.

"The information," she began, "it's all fake." The gang was hit with a wave of surprise. Was she joking around? She had to be! Marian had heard it right; some Saracen warriors had information. And Djaq had heard it spreading around her town in the Holy Lands! It couldn't be fake. "There's no secret information."

"It was all a lie?" Robin asked incredulously. Nafisa nodded her head grimly. They all stared at her wide-eyed. "Why? And how do you know?" They stared at her intently.

"Because. I was one of the warriors called up to see Saladin himself." Djaq's eyes widened. "He called me and Imram from our party and I don't know who else in the army itself. He called us and told us he had nothing to tell us. He said it wasn't because he didn't trust us, but he felt that if he said that, most of us would be captured instead of killed. He told us to keep up the act though, as if he _had_ told us something and to protect it with our life."

"You met Saladin?" asked Djaq jealously. What she wouldn't do to meet him. Nafisa faintly smiled and nodded her head. Djaq stared. "What was it like?"

"An honor. I was nervous, at first, but he's very nice," she said reassuringly. Djaq smiled. Nafisa was a lucky girl for meeting the Sultan. "What else do you want to know?"

"How did you escape?" Will asked. Nafisa looked over at him and smiled. Djaq eyed her curiously. She knew it couldn't have been anything good, but before this, she could read Nafisa like a book. Now, she was a fuse ready to blow. She was random and different. She wasn't the same Nafisa that left her home to fight in the war. She was different, darker, more mischievous.

"I was told to go wash up and when I was washing, I figured I was alone in a room, so I could escape. I was only on the second floor, so I jumped out. I landed in the courtyard and went into another room, where I cut my hair." Nafisa ran her fingers through her hair. She missed it her old hair, but the new hairstyle was growing on her. "I went to the dungeon, where everyone was either asleep or just oblivious of my presence. Grabbed some weapons, left, wandered around the castle and found the stables. I scared a boy into saddling and reining up a horse and I burst out of the castle and town." She smiled wryly. It had been a real rush and that's what she liked about it. She loved those rushes she got.

"How did you find us?"

"I followed my gut." Robin smirked. "So, are we going to get them out? I would like to at least get Imram out before the Sheriff tortures him for fake information." She paused as the gang thought of if they thought it'd be a good idea. "And I'd like to slit Dayyan's throat." Djaq's eyes flew up to her and stared at her. She thought Nafisa was joking, but she wasn't. She was dead serious.

"You are serious?" Djaq asked, eyeing her curiously. Nafisa nodded her head. There was no way she was going to let him live. Not after everything he'd put her through. "Why now, though? Why not kill him in the Holy Lands?" Nafisa shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure. Maybe because he wasn't willing to sell out the Sultan for me," she hissed. She scowled at the memory. She could only imagine him debating over it. She figured it didn't take him too long to think about it. It was just another way to show his 'love' for her. "Also maybe so I can look him in the eyes and see that I hate him for bringing me through hell. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him and I want him to know just how much I _hated_ the fighting."

"He did what he did because he wanted your love, not to bring you through hell," Djaq said, trying to quell Nafisa's feelings of hatred and revenge. Nafisa shot a dirty look at her.

"Are you saying that you have let go all of your anger towards Dayyan? Even though he killed your supposed to be husband?" Nafisa asked harshly. Djaq shot her a glare.

"No, but I'm saying that what he did was because he loves you. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to die, but maybe you're looking at this the wrong way," Djaq retorted. The two girls glared at each other. Finally, Nafisa eased up and nodded her head. She shouldn't have said what she said, but she was so infuriated by Dayyan's stupidity and selfishness she let it get the better of her. She sighed.

"I'm sorry, Saffiya. I didn't mean it that way. I just—why does Dayyan have to be so selfish?" she asked, looking down at her boots. Djaq wondered that too. It was Dayyan's selfishness that had tormented her for months. It was Dayyan's selfishness that made Nafisa have to go off to war. It was Dayyan's selfishness that Imram was going to be tortured to death for fake information. It was Dayyan's selfishness that had put them all through hell.

"I don't know," Djaq said quietly. The two girls meditated over this in silence. Robin and the rest of the gang watched them muse over Dayyan and everything he had done. Nafisa raised her head up and Djaq looked over at her.

"It's settled then," she said strongly. Djaq eyed her curiously. "I'm going in there to finish of the Sheriff's job." Djaq stared at her. She wasn't going to argue, but she didn't have the heart to let her do it. In all reality, he deserved to die. But was this the right thing to do? Did Nafisa or any of them have the right to decide if they take a life or not? No, they didn't.

"We don't kill," Robin said. Nafisa stared at her. Robin, she thought, if you're going to get in my way, mark my words I will push you down to get to my goal. She glared at him. He looked apologetically at her. The gang didn't kill and neither should Nafisa. He sighed.

"Are you saying you're going to get in my way?" she hissed. Robin looked over at her and the gang looked at Robin. He thought about it. Should he? He wasn't sure. They had never killed anyone besides guards. He had tried to kill Guy, but then saw the wrongs of his way. Should he interfere with Nafisa's personal grudges? If she was to be part of the gang, he should. Robin sighed. She wasn't going to like the answer, but it was true.

"I will if you leave me no other choice," he responded. Nafisa glared at him and then slammed her fist against a shelf wall. Nafisa stared at the ground and the gang saw a tear fall from her face to the ground. It made a loud noise when it landed, compared to the silence of them all. Nafisa slowly raised her head, vengeance in her eyes.

"Damn you, Robin. He _deserves_ to die," she growled. Robin shook his head. It didn't matter if he deserved to die, they didn't have the right to take that life. Even if he did, they didn't have the right.

"We do not take lives. I … I _cannot_. Not ever since the Holy Land," he said, drifting off. Memories of the Holy Lands came rushing back and he cringed at the thought. He saw the blood and the dead bodies that lie all over the battlefield. He heard the screams of men as they were impaled to their death and the screams of the ones who were not yet dead, but were to die soon. He looked down and saw the blood that covered his hands and his sword. He saw the Saracen that was still impaled by his sword. He looked up and saw the Saracen's face. That face was the only one that had stared at him when he died. That was the only Saracen that he had killed that looked at him with relief. That was the only Saracen that had said 'thank you', as he grabbed Robin's sword and stuck it deeper into him.

"Robin?" a voice asked. Robin shook his head and looked to the gang. He looked mortified and traumatized. Much and Nafisa looked at him, knowing what he had just seen. Nafisa looked at him sympathetically. He stared back at her. "Robin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't—I won't bring it up again." Robin nodded his head.

"It was that bad," Will announced, almost questioningly. The gang turned to him as Much, Robin and Nafisa nodded their heads solemnly. It had been some time since Robin and Much had thought about the Crusades, but for Nafisa, it had been just a month ago she had come from them. Nafisa looked at him and partially smiled.

"Yes, it was. How old are you?" she asked.

"Nineteen," he answered. Nafisa smiled. He was her age, but the difference amongst maturity was obvious. Nafisa was more and less mature than Will. She had seen more than he had and knew more than he did about war. In some senses, she found Will to be so innocent. He did not have to deal with the bloodshed in the Holy Lands, but at the same time, he had to deal with all the darkness here in England.

"Heh. We're the same age," she said. He faintly smiled. "Except I'm turning twenty soon." Robin looked at her. The two of them shared a smile. "So, are we going to go rescue the rest of my party or are we going to let the Sheriff torture them and probably work them to death?"

"Let's go," he said, answering her question. The gang all got their weapons and left camp. They began to walk to Nottingham castle and Nafisa began to wonder if her actual weapons were there. She hadn't taken her own weapons because she couldn't find them quick enough. In actuality, she used two thin swords, not a long, wide sword. It felt different to her. She felt as if she didn't have as much control when she was using the long sword, instead of her short swords.

"How are we going to get in?" Much asked Robin. He shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't thought about that yet. He looked over to Nafisa who was walking absentmindedly around in the forest. She didn't seem to notice the question Much had asked. Maybe she had an idea.

"Nafisa." She looked back and smiled. "How would you get in the castle?" Nafisa thought for a moment.

"I'd go through the stables. The wall nearest the stables is shorter than the others and not well guarded. Plus, the stable boy is afraid of me. I think he thinks I'm going to kill him or something. From there, we can go from the top of the stable to the room near it. It's uninhabited. Although, this means we'd be on the second floor and the dungeon would be two floors below us. That's the best idea I've got," she explained. Robin nodded his head. It wasn't a too bad of a plan, except for the fact that they were on the second floor. But they could probably manage to get down to the dungeon unseen. Nafisa made a small squeak and the gang stopped to look at her. "The second floor is mainly empty. Most guards don't do shifts around there. We can go to the room I bathed in and go from the courtyard to the dungeon."

"We jump?" asked Robin incredulously. Nafisa shrugged.

"Well I didn't say it was foolproof," she replied. He nodded his head. It was a better plan then any of them had. "Or, we could say that you guys captured me and give me back. But … no, that doesn't work. Sorry." They chuckled. That was probably one of the last things they wanted to do. Nafisa was a vital asset to the gang and she could definitely be a great addition to them.

"We're going to go with her first plan. It's the best we've got," he announced. The gang nodded their heads as they came up to the field of Nottingham. They all pulled their hoods over and walked to the city. Nafisa looked around. It was a quaint place, but very busy. She hadn't cared to look around too much when she made her escape or when she was being pelted with rotten vegetables. She looked around and saw the all the people. They looked to be just fine, but she could tell on the inside, they were screaming to be set free. She looked up to see the castle a little ways ahead and her face darkened. That castle inspired fear into the townspeople because of who was inside of what dark mind that man had. "C'mon, this way."

Robin gestured toward the gang as they followed him silently. They walked up to the castle and to the left side of it. The wall that guarded the castle was high, but as they went farther to the side, they saw it was dramatically shorter than the rest. The gang looked up at the wall, still very much high. Robin looked to Nafisa and she nodded her head. She looked around and saw a house very close to the wall. She backed up to against the castle wall and bolted quickly and jumped, barely reaching the shorter part of the two roofs. One arm was hanging on, while the other was dangling down. She pulled up and climbed up onto the roof. She gestured for the rest of them to stay. They all looked at curiously, Much whispering to the rest of the gang.

"Allah, help me," she whispered. She jumped to the highest roof and climbed up. She looked down at the gang and walked forward to the edge of the roof. Suddenly, her foot slipped and she slid down the side, grabbing the edge with one hand. Her grip was slipping and she swung her arm up and pulled herself up. She sat for a moment on the roof, catching her breath. The gang stared at her, Robin looking as if he was ready to catch her. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Let's hope I do this right, she thought. She got up and backed up to the highest point of the roof. She shut her eyes and opened them as she began to run to the edge of the roof. The gang, looking up, stared horrified as they watched Nafisa jump from the roof and slam against the castle wall. She was hanging from the edge and she looked down at the gang. She looked back up and pulled herself up. She jumped down to the platform just two feet below the wall.

"Hold on a minute," she said, as she looked over the wall and down the gang. Robin was about to say something before she left, but as he opened his mouth, she disappeared. He closed his mouth and stared nervously at the castle wall. He stared and stared, hoping he would see her face pop out from the top. He waited with the gang and finally, they saw a rope fall down to the ground. Nafisa popped her head back over the wall. "Robin, climb up. I need your help holding the rope." He nodded his head, as he grabbed the rope and began to scale the wall. He climbed up and when he came to the top, Nafisa pulled Robin to the platform. The two pulled on the rope so the rest of the gang could climb up. When they were all up they looked at her. "What?"

"C'mon, let's go," Robin said quickly, as he looked to Nafisa. She jumped down to the ground and rolled when she landed. It was too far a jump to land flat on your feet or else the shock would snap their hips. The gang stared at her as if she was crazy. She pointed to the stable roof and then signaled for them to wait. She walked to the stables and didn't see anyone. She came back into view and signaled them to come. They jumped to the stable roof and then down to the ground. The gang, except for Robin, was catching their breath, especially Little John. This was one of the more difficult plans they'd had to get into the castle.

"You," a voice said. The gang shot their head around and saw a blonde boy staring at Nafisa. She looked nervously at him. Was he going to turn them in? "Why are you back here?" Shit, she thought. Were they going to have to hurt him? She hoped not. He was a sweet boy.

"None of your business. Who are you?" she asked, as she walked towards her. Robin motioned for her to come back, but she didn't listen. He stared as she walked forward.

"I'm Samuel, Ma'm," he replied. Nafisa eyed him. Why was this boy standing there? Why wasn't he leaving or running to tell the Sheriff?

"How old are you, Samuel?"

"Eighteen, Ma'm." Nafisa chuckled.

"So you're not a little boy, are you?" she asked. Samuel shook his head.

"No, Ma'm." he said proudly. Nafisa stared at him. If she asked him to do her a favor, would he comply? She was tempted to have him do something for them, but could she trust him?

"How long are you going to be here?" she asked him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Until tonight, Ma'm. Why?" Nafisa looked back at Robin. He shook his head to her, but she ignored him.

"Just … would you saddle up some horses for us? We'll be back," she said, taking a chance on him. He nodded his head. She prayed to Allah that she was doing the right thing. She looked back to Robin who was glaring at her. "C'mon, let's go." Nafisa walked into the stable and grabbed a nearby ladder. She brought it out and placed it against the stables and climbed up to the top of it. The gang followed her as she climbed into a window. She gestured for them to follow and they did. They all climbed into the window and saw the empty room. It didn't have too many furnishings in it.

"What room is this?" Robin asked. Nafisa shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure. But when I was wandering the castle, I noticed practically all of the rooms were empty. I think it could be to house guests," she replied, drifting off. She walked to the door. Much began to talk. "Shh." She opened the door and looked out. The coast was clear. She opened the door wider and had them follow her out of the room. They walked through the corridors, making as little noise as possible. Nafisa stopped in front of a door and opened it. She walked inside with the gang and then closed it. She saw the wooden tub where she had bathed in was still there.

"This is the room you escaped from?" asked Will incredulously. Nafisa nodded her head. The looked around at the room. The Sheriff was either stupid or he wanted her to escape. It was the second story. He had to have known that she could get out from the second story.

"C'mon," Robin said, ushering them to the window. They looked out and stared at the ground. Robin sighed. Most of his gang wouldn't take that jump. He looked at Nafisa. Really, he thought. Nafisa read his face and saw what he was saying. She looked back. Well, how else was I supposed to get out, she thought. He shook his head. "Do you still have the rope with you?" She shook her head.

"Let me go get it though," she said. Before Robin could say anything, she ran out of the room. Robin stared at the door. He hated it when she did this. He knew she was skilled, but she acted as if she was invincible. She was cocky, like him. He was fine with himself being somewhat cocky, but he hated watching someone else be it. He wasn't sure if she'd come back.

"She expects us to jump down there?" Will asked incredulously. Robin nodded his head. "She's mad if she thinks we'll do that." Robin nodded again.

"Master, I will not jump," Much said defiantly. Robin chuckled.

"I knew that, Much," Robin replied. They all chuckled. They stopped and waited. Robin paced the room. The door opened and he saw Nafisa holding some rope. She walked over to the window and threw the rope out, holding onto one end. It fell about a foot off the ground. She sat down at the window and held the rope.

"Well, c'mon! I'm not gonna sit here all day!" she exclaimed, as they all scurried around and Much went down the rope. He landed and then Djaq and Will went. Little John looked at her, worried. "I'll be fine. Go." Little John climbed down the rope, then Robin. Nafisa got up and let go of the rope. She climbed out the window and jumped, rolling as she landed. The gang stared at her as she and Robin began to walk to a window. Nafisa pulled her hood up as she and Robin walked to a window.

"Well, c'mon! We don't have all day!" Robin said, as the gang caught up with them. Nafisa went and jumped up onto the ledge of another window, crouching. She looked around and jumped in. They all followed. She listened to the door and opened it when she didn't hear anything. They all crept out and followed her down to the dungeon. She went in and saw the key master awake. She crept up behind him and snaked her arm around his neck, her other arm grabbing her hand and pulling tighter. He tried to fight back, but within seconds he was unconscious and on the floor. The gang walked in and looked at the key master, then at her. They watched her walk to the guards and horrified, they watched as she slit each one of the guards' throat. All of the Saracen's stared at her.

"Who are you?" Achmed asked. She chuckled lightly.

"None of your concern," she replied. She looked over at Robin. "Throw me the keys." Robin grabbed the keys from the unconscious key master and threw them to her. She caught them and unlocked Achmed's cell, then all the other cells holding Saracen. They all walked out and stared at Nafisa.

"Who are you?" another asked.

"Doesn't matter. Grab your weapons and let's get out of here before I decide to leave you here to die," she said harshly. The Saracen's glared at her, but went and got their weapons. When all of them had fastened them, they saw Hasim's weapons were still there and so were Dayyan's. They noticed, curiously, that Imram's sword was gone.

"What should we do with Hasim and Dayyan's weapons?" one asked. Nafisa growled as she went over and grabbed her two short swords and Dayyan's sword. "Hey! Those aren't yours!" She shot back and glared at them.

"Well, are they yours?" she asked menacingly. The Saracen shook his head. "I thought so. Now let's get out of here before more guards come." The Saracens and Nafisa walked over to Robin's gang and stopped. "Robin and gang, Saracens. Saracens, Robin and gang. Robin, take them to the stables and get them ready to leave. I have to go rescue Imram and Dayyan from the Sheriff." Robin paused and then nodded his head.

"Be careful," he replied. Nafisa chuckled as she walked to the dungeon door.

"Aren't I always?" she asked, grinning as she left the dungeon. She walked through the castle, trying to figure out where Dayyan was. Maybe he was still in the place they were holding him? She walked down the corridor and opened a door. There, when she walked in, she saw Dayyan. His head was hanging down and there was a pool of dried blood under his head. She walked over to him and he looked up at her. She took down her hood. His eyes widened. She smiled at him. "Didn't think I'd come back and see you, huh? Well, you'll be happy to know I met up with some old friends I met in the Holy Lands. We sprung the Saracen's from jail." He looked at her hopefully.

"Help me, Nafisa," his voice cracked. She chuckled. Like she was going to let him out. She walked over to him and pushed his head back up. She grabbed his hair and stood in front of him. She smiled.

"You expect me to _help_ you?" she asked mockingly. With what little strength he had left, he nodded his head. She laughed. He stared at her. "You made my life a living hell, Dayyan. You're the reason I can't stop killing and to prove this to you, I'm going to kill you, Dayyan…with your own blade that killed so many." His eyes widened as he struggled against the bonds, but he couldn't escape. She drew his sword, walked behind him, and crouched down a little. She whispered in his ear. "This isn't going to be nearly as painful as how painful my life has been, but it'll have to do." With that, she placed the sword on his neck and pulled back, slicing his neck open. The blood poured out onto the floor and her face darkened. She dropped the sword. "What did I do? Oh no. Robin…I promised…no." She shook her head. What was done was done. She couldn't go back and change it.

Nafisa walked out of the room slowly. She shut the door and pressed up against it, breathing in heavily. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She sighed and looked in front of her. She walked through the hallway and opened a door, hoping Imram was in there. She looked in and instead, saw nothing. It was empty. She growled and shut the door. She heard guards walking through the hallway and opened the door again and ran into the room. She closed the door and went to the side of it, going as quietly as she could. She breathed heavily as she heard the footsteps grow louder then softer. She sighed and opened the door. She walked out of the room and went to another.

"Imram!" she exclaimed, as she walked in, to see Imram bloodied and beaten. She ran over to him and cut his bonds with a knife. He looked at her and his eyes widened.

"Hasim?" he croaked. She nodded her head, paused, the shook her head.

"Yes and no. I'll explain to you later, just come with me, Imram. We need to get you out of here," she said, lifting him up. She put his arm around her shoulders and began to walk forward. He limped and held onto her.

"The Sheriff," he said. She nodded her head. "I didn't talk." She smiled, as she walked to the door and out of the room. They walked through the hallways as quickly as they could. Every now and then, Imram would slow down to catch his breath. Nafisa was less inclined to let him do this, but in the state he was in, he needed it. She pushed him on through the castle and finally they arrived to the stables. Everyone stared as the two hobbled towards them. She set Imram sat down to sit and looked at them. She had put her hood back up, but they could partially see her face.

"Hasim? Is that you?" Achmed said, walking towards her. Nafisa turned around. She couldn't tell them. They would murder her there. She had betrayed all of them. How could she or anyone else expect them to treat her kindly? She sighed. She turned around and took down the hood.

"No. Hasim died three years ago. I am Nafisa … his little sister."

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A/N: OH MY GOSH! I'm so sorry I haven't updated! I was in Yosemite for a week or so and I didn't get a chance to finish. Very sorry it's been so long! I'll be better about it(: Hope you liked this chapter! R&R No flames please.


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